James Hargest College
282 Layard Street, Invercargill · Otago & Southland
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Composite score
Established
Below median
Rank #1,368 of scored NZ schools
In summary
James Hargest College received a composite score of 83 in its May 2023 ERO review. The review found the school has well-established collective capacity for evaluation and inquiry-based learning, collaborative school-wide leadership focused on equitable outcomes, and strong support systems for student achievement and wellbeing including for Māori and Pacific learners.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Invercargill looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is James Hargest College a good school?
James Hargest College scores 65/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Well established, collective capacity to do and use evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building
- School-wide leadership is collaborative and prioritises improvement for equitable and excellent outcomes
- Students, including Māori and Pacific learners, are well supported to achieve success and enhance their learning and wellbeing
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
L1 87% · L2 78% · UE 53% · bottom quartile of band (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 30% · Te Pūkenga 15% · Industry 13% · top quartile of band (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
80% to Y13 · bottom quartile of band (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 44.9/1k · suspensions 4.8/1k · exclusions 2.9/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+4.0% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
83/100 from ERO review 2023-05 · above band median (n=520) · why? ▼ hide
⚠ Insufficient EQI-band peers (n<10) to compute per-axis percentile context. The score above is absolute; treat it as a single-school read rather than a peer comparison.
Real ERO composite (from the latest review): 83/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-05-05 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Well established collective capacity to do and use evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building
- School-wide leadership is collaborative and prioritises improvement for equitable and excellent outcomes
- Students, including Māori and Pacific learners, are well supported to achieve success and enhance their learning and wellbeing
- A longitudinal systematic review is underway to refine and implement a meaningful localised curriculum
"school-wide leadership is collaborative and prioritises improvement for equitable and excellent outcomes"
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2013–2023. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$26.81M
Surplus / (deficit)
$704k
Net assets / equity
$6.08M
3 years of audited data on file · View full history (Pro)
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
86.8%
244 of 281 leavers
-3.5pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
77.9%
219 of 281 leavers
-3.6pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
53.0%
149 of 281 leavers
-1.4pt vs prior year
Data: Ministry of Education / Education Counts, CC-BY-4.0
Stay-on rate
Percentage of students who stay at school until at least their 17th birthday — the standard NZ proxy for Year-9-to-Year-13 retention.
80.1%
2024 cohort · 281 students
-4.2pt vs 2023
Discipline (age-standardised, per 1,000 students)
Stand-down = sent home temporarily. Suspension = formal investigation. Exclusion = removed from school. National averages shown for comparison.
Stand-downs · 2024
44.9
133 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
4.8
16 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
2.9
8 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 33
- Creative Industries 16
- Construction and Infrastructure 6
- Social and Community Services 3
- Manufacturing and Technology 3
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$16.94M
Per-student funding · 2022
$9,069
2018
$13.1M
2019
$13.1M
2020
$15.8M
2021
$17.1M
2022
$16.9M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 253
- Year 08 279
- Year 09 318
- Year 10 292
- Year 11 284
- Year 12 244
- Year 13+ 230
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 79.6%
- Māori 18.8%
- Asian 14.3%
- Other / MELAA 3.9%
- Pacific 3.5%
- International 1.3%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
ESOL support
partial
Location
282 Layard Street, Invercargill. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with James Hargest College.
Waverley Park School
Contributing · 0.7km · 273 roll
68
+3 vs this
Salford School
Contributing · 0.8km · 269 roll
72
+7 vs this
St Theresa's School (Invercargill)
Contributing · 1.3km · 284 roll
79
+14 vs this
Windsor North School
Contributing · 1.4km · 323 roll
43
-22 vs this
Ascot Community School
Full Primary · 1.8km · 259 roll
48
-17 vs this
Murihiku Young Parents' Learning Centre
Teen Parent Unit · 1.8km · roll n/a
68
+3 vs this
Frequently asked
Is James Hargest College a good school?
James Hargest College scores 65/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2023-05 review identified 4 key findings. Well established collective capacity to do and use evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building
How do I enrol my child at James Hargest College?
Contact the school directly on 03-2176129, email office@jameshargest.school.nz, or visit www.jameshargest.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
James Hargest College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
James Hargest College has 1,868 students, with an EQI of 445 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed James Hargest College in 2023-05, signed by Shelley Booysen. 5 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- jameshargest.school.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- international.jameshargest.school.nz
- crimestats.co.nz